Question about storing beets without frig

[Sunshine17]

Hi,

In one of Bob's video's he interviewed a woman, who showed how she keep beets for a long time, without a frig.
She keep them, in a box along with something like wood shavings. That keep them good for a long time.
If anyone knows, what she used I would greatly appreciate it.

If you know of something else, that works for you, please share it.
Along with, how you keep other fruits or veggies, without a frig.

Hope you are all doing well and wishing you all the best.
Thank you, in advance.

 

[maki2]

"If there is no room in the refrigerator, beets can also be packed in a container—a bucket or plastic storage box or cooler–in moist sand, peat moss, or sawdust. Don’t pack roots too tightly; if the roots touch they can start to rot; be sure to leave 2 inches (5 cm) of insulating material around at the top, bottom, and sides of the stored roots. Set the lid loosely so that there is good air circulation and place the container in a cold place such as a basement, garage, or shed."


the information above is from this website that is about growing vegetables but also about storing them as well as some cooking tips. https://harvesttotable.com/harvest-store-beets/

I am not sure exactly what the wood shavings that person used were but it could have been an all natural pet bedding product. You will find that in pet stores, sold for use in the cages of various small mammals that people keep as pets. It would be important that there were no additives in the pet bedding material that could be absorbed or transferred into the food.

Do note that it is not a suitable method for storing food in a hot location such as in the summer time. Cool temperatures are needed to keep the root vegetables from growing roots and new tops. This method has always been used for storing root vegetables to last through the winter time when no other fresh produce was available. It is done in root cellars where the temperature stays just above freezing.

 

[Sunshine17]

Dear Maki2,

Thank you very much for this information.
I appreciate it!

Wishing you the best,

Sunshine17

 

[maki2]

Thank you for asking Sunshine, it is useful knowledge for many to know.

The CDC says beets are good choice to eat right now because they get cooked to a high enough temperature to kill a virus and of course they keep for a longer time in storage than many of the soft, fresh vegetables. I bought some myself last week, I do like them.

They do take a longer cooking time though but that is where having a pressure cooker is a big help in reducing fuel cost and making meals happen in a shorter time span.

 

[jacqueg]

Any root vegetable can be stored this way.

The colder it is, the longer the roots will last, short of freezing.

If you don't have refrigeration and/or a cooler, and it's summertime, I think it's still worth experimenting with. Maybe keep the container outside at night, and wrap it up in some kind of insulation in the morning?

 

[maki2]

Some cultures do that with wet clay pots with sand inside of them for food storage in hot climates. They cool via evaporation.